Filing device



April 26, 1938. .1, R. JONES ET-AL FILING DEVICE 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 FiledM ay 19, 1936 April 26, 1938.

J. R. JONES Er Al. 2,115,389

FILING DEVICE Filed May 19, 193s 4 sheets-sheet 2 7 A @fr /4 f f7( WApril 26, 1938. J. R. JONES Er Al.

FILING DEVICE Filed May 19, 1956 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 y Elk" Nm. MN NN.,

April 26, 1938. J. R. JONES f-:T Al.

FILING DEVICE Filed May 19, 1936 '4 Sheets-Sheet 4 ail@ am w m J w Afro/@NE y.

Patented Apr. 26, 1938 UNITED s'm'rasv FILING DEVCE A James R. Jones andVictor A. Gronberg, Jamestown, N. Y.; assignors to Art MetalConstruction Company, Jamestown. N. Y.

Application May 19, 1936, Serial No. 80,542

12 Claims.v (Cl. 12928) This invention relates to record files, and moreparticularly to improvements in drawer les, in which a drawer mounted tomove in and out in a case or cabinet, is provided with a follower whichis adjustable for engaging and holding the drawer contents or recordsupright close together in the drawer irrespective of the number of therecords therein, and for permitting the spreading or separation of therecords for examination and their insertion into and removal from thedrawer.

'I'he objects of the invention are to provide a desirable and practicaldrawer le of this type, which is of novel, strong and durableconstruction and by which the follower may be readily operated to holdthe records firmly together in compact upright position, and to releasethem for examination or for the insertion of the records into or theirremoval from the drawer; which is of a construction particularly adaptedfor filing circular record disks, such as used in phonographs, andholding` the disks upright firmly together so as to prevent the warpingor injuring of the disks; in which the compression follower for thedisks is operated automatically to apply pressure to hold the recordscompactly together by the closing of the drawer, and to relieve thepressure on the records when the drawer is opened to permit theirseparation and the insertion of the records into and their removal fromthe drawer; and which has the other features of advantage andimprovement hereinafter described and set forth in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings:

Fig. 1 is a longitudinal sectional elevation on line I--I, Fig. 3, of adrawer file embodying our invention, showing the drawer closed.

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary, transverse vertical I section thereof on line 22, Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a horizontal section thereof on a reduced scale.

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary, longitudinal, vertical section, similar to Fig.1, but with the drawer partially open.

Fig. 5 is a fragmentary, longitudinal section, on an enlarged scale,taken approximately on line 5 5, Fig. 2.

Fig. 6 is a transverse, vertical vsection through a portion of thedrawer and the follower carriage, on line 66, Fig. 1, on an enlargedscale.

Fig. 7 is a fragmentaryside elevation of related portions of the case,drawer and follower carriage, with the drawer partially open.

Fig. 8 is a fragmentary, vertical section, on an enlarged scale, of thelatch means for releasably holding the follower carriage from move-.posite sides of the drawer opening.

ment relatively to the drawer, showing the same in released position.

Fig. 9 is a. similar View of the same with the parts in a dii-ferentposition.

Fig. 10 is a perspective view of the latch bolt and associate parts,detached.

Fig. 11 is a fragmentary, horizontal section of a modified arrangementof the means for moving the follower forwardly when closing the drawer.

Fig. 12 is a. fragmentary, horizontal section of the carriage guidemeans and the means for locking the follower to its carriage.

Fig. 13 is a longitudinal', vertical section thereof, on line I3-I3,Fig. 12. l

Fig. 14 is a fragmentary, transverse section, on an enlarged scale, ofthe follower carriage and follower guide means.

Fig. 15 is a side elevation, on a reduced scale, showing a. drawerequipped with spring means for shifting the follower and its carriagerearwardly when the drawer is opened.

A represents the case of the ling cabinet `and B the file drawer, ofwhich any number, one or more, may be provided inthe case, each drawerbeing mounted to slide in and out vin the case on suitable guides i0which are preferably of the progressive cradle suspension type commonlyemployed in drawer filing cabinets to ensure free, easy movement of theheavily loaded drawers and maintain the drawers horizontal when pulledout so as to project a considerable distance out of the cabinet. Asingle drawer cabinet is shown in which the sheet metal case is madewith upright side walls il which are connected at their rear ends by arear wall i2 and are formed at their front ends with laterally andrearwardly bent anges embracing channel-formed upright posts I3, whichare rigidly secured, as by welding, between said inturned anges and theinner faces of the side walls at the front of the case. The hollow poststhus formed stien and strengthen the side walls and constitute strongrigid front frame members for the case at op- Vertical flangedsupporting strips I4 and l5 for the drawer guides are also shown weldedto the inner faces of the side walls. The top and bottom of the case maybe formed and arranged as shown, or may be of any other suitableconstruction.

Asheet metal drawer B is shown, constructed with a bottom and uprightopposite side, rear and front walls. Except that the bottom ispreferably formed with a depressed, longitudinal central channel i6',and that the upper portions of having a downturned inner edge. the innerstrip 26 is arranged with its upper edge the side walls are formed aspresently described, the drawer may be of usual or any suitableconstruction, rbut preferably the upright drawer front I8 is of greaterheight than the side walls and rear wall |9 and is of usual hollow ordouble wall formation.

Each side wall I1 of the drawer is preferably formed byv a metal platehaving its upper edge portion bent, as best shown in Fig. 6, to providean inturned, top flange witha downturned,V

inner edge, and an inwardly opening channel or guideway 2| extendinglengthwise below said top flange. The bottom of the channel forms adownwardly facing, external shoulder 22 on the outside of the sidewall.` This formation of the upper portions of the side walls provideshorizontal guides for a longitudinally movable follower-supporting frameor carriage comprising opposite side rails or bars 23 which extendlengthwise at opposite sides of the drawer and are connected at theirrear ends by a cross bar 24, which is preferably of the hollow shapeshown, rigidly attached by welding or otherwise, to the rear4 ends ofthe side bars 23. Each carriage side bar is preferably formed by anouter sheet metal strip 25 and an inner sheet metal strip 26 rigidlyattached, as by welding, to the inner face of the outer strip above thetop flange of the side wall. vThe outer strip 25 is formed at its loweredge with a flange 21 extending inwardly beneath the shoulder 22 of theside wall and with an inturned top flange 28 preferably Preferably,

against the underside of the top flange of the outer strip, and at itslower edge is formed with a. flange 29 extending inwardly over the topflange 20 of the side wall and having an inner edge depending beside theinner edge of the top ange 20 of the side wall. Inwardly openingchannels or guideways 38 are thus formed on the carriage'side barsbetween the anges 28 and 29.

The side bars of the follower carriage are thus held inv connection withthe channel-formed upper edges of the side walls of the drawer and areadapted to slide forwardly and rearwardly relatively to the drawer.Preferably, rollers 3| having stud axles 32 secured to the carriage sidebars are arranged to travel in the channel guideways 2l of the sides ofthe drawer, the roller axles extending through elongated slots 33 in thevertical walls of the drawer channels 2|. These rollers are adapted toroll on the bottoms of the drawer channels 2| and provide rollingsupports or guides for the follower carriage in its forward and rearwardmovements on the drawer,

' thus insuring a smooth, free movement of the the main follower plateand vertical reinforcing bars 46a at the rear face of the main plate.Coil or compression springs 4| surrounding the guide rods 39 between thefollower main and face plates yieldingly press the face plate forwardlyor away from the main plate and permit the face plate to yieldrearwardly against the pressure ofthe springs 4|. The forward movementof the face plate is limited and the guide rods 39 prevented fromdisengagement from their guide holes in the follower main plate bysuitable means, s'uch as cotter pins extending through the holes in therear ends of the guide rods back of said main plate.

The follower is mounted on its sliding carriage so that it can beadjusted thereon relative to the carriage to diierent desired positionsforwardly and rearwardly in the drawer, according to bulk of records inthe drawer, and can be locked to the carriage to partake in a limitedlongitudinal vmovement with the carriage relatively t'o the drawer forcompressing the drawer contents and relieving the pressure thereon. Forthis purpose, in the construction shown, the main follower plate 35 issecured at its opposite side portions to arms 45 extending transverselyfrom supporting members or plates 46 arranged to slide forwardly andrearwardly in the guideways in the side bars of the carriage. As shown,the arms 450i the slides are secured in a transverse channel-41 formedin the main follower plate, whereby the slides are held rigid with theplate perpendicularly thereto. The supporting members 46 are adapted tobe adjusted forwardly and rearwardly in the channels -30 of the carriageside bars which thus serve as guideways for the supporting memberswhereby the follower is heldin upright or vertical position in thedrawer. Rollers 41a mounted on the supporting members 46 to roll on theguides 30 ease the adjustment of said members inthe guides 3|).

Suitable llocking means are employed for releasably locking the followerin adjusted positions to the carriage side bars against movementrelatively thereto. 'I'he means shown for this purpose in the drawingscomprise a rock shaft or rod 48 which is arranged transversely at therear of the main follower plate to rock in bearings 49 on the back ofthe follower plate 35 and extends through slots in bearing plates 50 atopposite edges of ther follower. shaft is formed outwardly beyond theside bearing plates 50 with crank'arms 5|, the outwardly extendingextremities of which engage dogs or latches 52 arranged to engage inslots 52a in the bottoms of the g'uideways 30 of the carriage side barsfor locking the follower thereto. As shown, each dog 52 is pivoted atone end to the adjacent supporting member 46 by a lateral lug 52h on thedog projecting into a round hole 52o in the adjacent member 46. And, atits free end, the dog has a tooth adapted to enter one or another of thes lots 52d..v The dog tooth has a bevelled bottom edge and an abruptrear edge so that it will positively hold the follower against The rockrearward movement relative to its carriage but will allow the followerto be readily adjusted forwardly on its carriage by forward pressure onthefollower; Fixed to the middle portion of the rock shaft is a plate 53forming arms projecting upwardly and downwardly from the rock shaft. Aspring 54 bearing against the lower arm rocks the shaft to a position toengage the dogs 52 in the slots 52a and thereby lock the follower to thecarriage against rearward movement relative thereto. The spring 54 shownconsists of a spring tongue fixed at one end to the follower plate 35and pressing at its free end against the lower end of the plate 53 onthe rock shaft.

anni

Lil

Thevrock shaft is adapted to be rocked against the action of the spring54 to lift the dogs out of engagement with the slots 52a, Ito unlock thefollower from the carriage, by an operating lever or member 56 which, asshown, consists of a plate pivoted between its ends on a pivot pin 51secured in lugs on the rear of the follower plate 35, and having afinger or thumb piece projecting upwardly from its pivot and an armprojecting downwardly from the pivot and hinged, as by a pin 59 to theupper end of a lever 60, which is suitably pivoted at 60a on the rear ofthe follower plate 35 and is suitably pivoted at its. lower end at 6| tothe upper 'end of plate 53 fixed on the rock shaft 48. Thus, by pressingthe upper end of the operating member 56 forwardly or towards thefollower, the rock shaft is rocked against the action of the spring 54to disengage the dogs from the slots 52a and free the follower so thatit can be adjusted forwardly or rearwardly in the drawer relative to itssliding carriage.

The follower carriage with the follower locked thereto is movableforwardly and rearwardly on the side walls of the drawer for adistance-which is limited by suitable means, such as front and rearcushioned stops 62 on the drawer which the carriage rollers are adaptedto engage. The follower is adjusted on the carriage and locked theretoin a position, depending upon the bulk of records in the drawer, suchthat it is adapted to compress the records or drawer contents thedesired amount by forward movement of the carriage on the drawer, withinsaid limits of the carriage movement, when the drawer is closed. Whenthe drawer is opened or pulled out, it is desirable to relieve thispressure on the flle contents or records, whereby they can be separatedto the extent permitted by the rearward movement of the follower, tofacilitate examination or manipulation of the records and the insertionof the same into or their removal from the drawer.

For the purpose of automatically moving the carriage forwardly on thedrawer, to compress the records by the act of closing the drawer,actuating members 65 are provided on the carriage. These members may bein the form of hooks fixed on the under sides of the outer channelstrips 25 of the carriage in position to engage stationary abutments 66which may be studs fixed to the upright front frame member I3 or othersuitable portion of the case at opposite sides of the drawer. Whenclosing the drawer, the hooks 65 will engage the abutments 66 before thedrawer is completely closed and will hold the follower carriage andfollower against rearward movement during the further inward movement ofthe drawer to its closed position, and thereby compress the records ordrawer contents between the follower and the front of the drawer, thisaction occurring automatically, due to the closing of the drawer.

The pressure of the records or drawer contents against the followertends to move the follower carriage rearwardly on the drawer, and whenthe drawer is closed, if such rearward movement of the carriage is notrestrained, it will, through reaction against the stationary abutments66 or other part of the drawer case, tend to open the drawer or cause itto protrude from the drawer case unless the drawer is latched or lockedin closed position.

Preferably, means are provided, whereby the act of opening the drawerwill cause limited rearward movement of. the follower in the drawer forrelieving the pressure of the follower on the drawer contents to permitthe separation thereof, and whereby the follower will be positively heldin its compressing position against rearward movement while the draweris closed, and also will be positively held against moving forwardlyfrom its pressure-relieving position when the drawer is open. Thefollowing means are shown in the drawings for this purpose.

61 represents latch bolts arranged at each side of the re end of thecarriage to move vertically in guide slots in the carriage side bars andcarriage cross bar 24. Each of these latches is connectedvat its upperend to an angle-shaped bar or plate 68 above the carriage cross bar 24and pivoted thereto at its inner end, as by an angle lug 69 extendingloosely through a hole in the top of the cross bar. A spring 10, whichmay consist of a springstrip fixed to one end of the cross bar andbearing at its free end against the latch bar 68, yieldingly holds thelatch in its lowermost position in which it is adapted to engage eitherthe front or rear face of the rear wall of the drawer, depending uponthe relative position of the carriage and drawer. The upbent, free endof the latch bar 68 is provided with a lateral extension havingforwardly and rearwardly projecting, upwardly inclined wings 1 I, sopositioned that when opening or closing the drawer, said wingedextension will engage and ride over a stationary stud or projection 'l2suitably fixed, as by a stationary bracket 13 at the rear portion of theside of the case. When the drawer is open, the follower carriage willproject rearwardly beyond the drawer, and when closing the drawer, thewinged extensions of the latch bars will engage and ride over the studs12, thus lifting the latches 61 so that they will pass over the top edgeof the rear wall of the drawer, as indicated in Fig. 8.` The wingedextensions of the latch bars will clear the studs 12 when the drawer isfully closed and the latches will be lowered by their springs in frontof the rear wall of the drawer, as shown in Fig; 1, so as,` byengagement with the rear wall, to hold the follower carriage againstrearward movement on the drawer and thus positively hold the follower inits forward pressing position. In opening the drawer, the carriage willmove therewith until the winged extensions of the latch bars engage andride over studs 'l2 and thus liftl the latches out of engagement withthe rear wall of the drawer. The pressure of the drawer contents on thefollower will then shift the follower carriage rearwardly on the drawer,and when the latches clear or pass beyond the rear wall of the drawer,they will be lowered by their springs back of the rear wall, and byengagement therewith, will prevent the forward shifting of the followercarriage on the drawer until the drawer is again closed and the latchesactuated as before explained. The upper rear corners ofthe drawer arepreferably reinforced by angle corner plates 1l for engagement of thelatches.

This latching mechanism operating as described, avoids the necessity.forproviding the drawer with a lock or catch which otherwise would benecessary to hold the drawer closed against its tendency to open underreaction from the pressure of the drawer contents against the follower.With the described latch mechanism there is no tendency for the drawerto open and the objection of having the drawer stand partially open orprotruding from the case by failure to fully close the drawer so that itwill be held by its catch, in a construction requiring a catch to holdthe drawer closed, is avoided. The drawer A essary to ,prevent thedrawer from being parf plate, as described, exerts a yielding pressurevtially opened so as to protrude from the case by the action of thecompression follower.

'I'he follower having the spring pressed face against the records orcontents of the drawer and holds them firmly in compact condition faceto face against each other while the drawer is closed, and upon theopening of the drawer, the yielding pressure between the contents andfollower aids in causing the rearward movement of the follower in thedrawer to relieve the pressure on the contents or records and permit theseparation thereof.

If a follower not having a spring pressed face plate is used, it may bedesirable to employ spring means for shifting the follower rearwardlywhen the drawer is opened. Fig. 15 shows such a' means consisting ofsprings 16 at opposite sides of the drawer attached at one end to thedrawer and at the opposite end to the side bars of the carriage.

As above described, the stationary abutments 66 for moving the followerforwardly when closing the drawer, are located at the front of thevdrawer case and engage the actuating members or hooks 65 at the frontportion of the follower carriage. A different arrangement of theseabutments is illustrated in Figs. 11 and 15, in which the abutments 66aare fixed to brackets 11 secured at the sides of the drawer case betweenthe vertical reinforcing bars I4 and I5 for the side walls of the case.These abutments cooperate with actuating members or hooks 65a fixed tothe undersides of the rear portions of the side bars of the followercarriage.

When using the described flle for filing circular record disks, such asmentioned, each disk may be placed in a paper or other suitable envelopeor cover and the envelopes placed on edge in the drawer one behindanother. The bottom edges of the envelopes bear on the drawer bottom atopposite sides of the central bottom drawer channel, and thus the bottomedges of the disk are prevented from injury or mutilation by striking orbearing on the metal drawer bottom.

We claim as our invention:

1. 'Ihe combination of a file case, a drawer movable in and out therein,a follower in said drawer, a carriage for said follower comprising sidebars mounted to slide lengthwise on the side walls of said drawer at theouter sides thereof, follower-supporting members movable longitudinallyon said carriage side bars for adjusting the follower in the drawerrelatively to the carriage, means for securing the follower in adjustedpositio-ns on the carriage,xed abutments at the front portion of thecase, and parts on the front end portions of said carriage side barswhich are caused to engage said abutments and move the carriage andfollower longitudinally of the drawer by the closing of the drawer.

2. The combination of, a le case, a drawer movable in and out therein, afollower in said drawer, a carriage for said follower comprising sidebars mounted to slide lengthwise at opposite sides of the drawer,follower-supporting members movable longitudinally on said side bars foradjusting the follower in the drawer relatively to said side bars, meansfor securing the follower in adjusted positions on the carriage, fixedabutments at the side portions of the case at opposite sides of thedrawer, and parts which are lcarried by the side bars'of said followercarriage and located at the outer sides of the drawer and are caused toengage said abutments and move the carriage and follower longitudinallyof th drawer by the closing of the drawer.'

3. The combination of a ille case, a drawer movable in and out therein,a follower in said drawer, a carriage for said follower comprising sidebars mounted to slide lengthwise at opposite sides of the drawer andhaving portions disposed at the outer sides of the side walls of thedrawer, follower-supporting members Y movable longitudinally on saidcarriage side bars for adjusting the follower in the drawer relativelyto the carriage, means for securing the follower in adjusted' positions.on the carri-age, parts which are fixed to said portions of saidcarriage side bars at the outer sides of the side walls of the drawer,and stationary abutments with which said parts are caused to engage andmove the carriage and follower longitudinally of the ,drawer by theclosing of the drawer.

4. 'I'he combination of a file case, a drawer movable in and out thereinand having upright side walls formed with inwardly opening longitudinalguideways at their upper portions, a follower in said drawer, a carriagefor the follower comprising side bars arranged to move longitudinally atthe upper portions of the sides of the drawer and having inwardlyopening longitudinal guideways disposed above the said first mentionedguideways, carriage-supporting rollable in said second-mentionedguideways for.

adjusting the follower relatively to the carriage, means for locking thefollower in adjusted positions on the carriage, and means for limitingthe longitudinal movement of the carriage relatively to the drawer.

5. The combination of a le case, aI drawer movable in and out thereinand having upright side walls formed with inwardly opening longitudinalguideways at their upper portions, a follower in said drawer, a carriagefor the follower comprising side bars arrangedto move longitudinally atthe upper portions of the sides of the drawer and havingrinwardlyopening longitudinal guideways disposed abovefthe said irst mentionedguideways, carriage-supporting rollers arranged to travel in said firstmentioned guideways, slides secured to the follower and adjustable insaid second mentioned guideways for adjusting the follower relatively tothe carriage, means for limiting the rearward movement of the carriagerelatively to the drawer, and parts on the case which are caused toengage parts on the follower carriage and move the carriage forwardlyrelatively to the drawer by the closing of the drawer.

6. The combination of a file case, a drawer movable in and out in thecase and having upright side walls formed with channel-shaped upperportions providing longitudinal shoulders at the outer sides of saidwalls and inwardly facing longitudinal guideways, a follower in saiddrawer, a follower supporting carriage comprising side bars embracingsaid shoulders and the upper edges of said channel portions at the outersides of said sidewalls, and havinginwardly facing guideways, rollersmounted on said carriage side bars and arranged to travel in said firstmentioned guideways, slides secured to said follower and arranged tomove in said second mentioned guideways for adjusting the follower inthe drawer 75 relatively to the carriage, means for locking the followerin adjusted positions on the carriage, and means for limiting thelongitudinal movementl of the follower carriage relatively to thedrawer.

7. The combination of a file case, a drawer movable in and out in thecase, a follower-supporting carriage having limited longitudinalmovement on the drawer, a follower carried by and partaking in thelongitudinal movement of the carriage and adjustable longitudinally todifferent positions relative to the carriage, follower actuating meanswhich shifts the follower for compressing the drawer contents whenclosing the drawer, and latch means having cooperating members on thedrawer and carriage which holds the follower from shifting out of itscompressing position while thedrawer is closed.

8. The combination of a file case, a drawer movable in and out in thecase, a follower-supporting carriage having limited longitudinalmovement on the drawer, a follower carried by and partalsing in thelongitudinal movement of the carriage and adjustable longitudinally todifferent positions relative to the carriage, follower actuating meansoperated by the movement of the drawer in the case which shifts thefollower carriage and follower for compressing the drawer contents whenclosing the drawer, and latch means having cooperating members on thefollower carriage and drawer for holding the carriage and follower fromshifting out of their compressing position while the drawer is closed.

9. The combination of a file case, a drawer movable in and out in thecase, a follower-supporting carriage having limited longitudinalmovement on the drawer, a follower carried by and partaking in thelongitudinal movement of the carriage and adjustable longitudinally todifferent positions relative to the carriage, follower actuating meansoperated by the movement of the drawer in the case which shifts thefollower for compressing the drawer contents when closing the drawer,and latch means having cooperating members on the follower carriage anddrawer which holds the follower from shifting in the direction tocompress the drawer contents after the drawer has been opened andpressure of the follower on the drawer contents relieved.

10. The combination of a file case, a drawer movable in and out in thecase, a follower-supporting carriage having limited longitudinalmovement on the drawer, a follower carried by and partaking in thelongitudinal movement of the carriage and adjustable longitudinally todifferent positions relative to the carriage, follower actuating meanswhich shifts the follower for compressing the drawer contents whenclosing the drawer, latch means which holds the follower from shiftingout of its compressing position while the drawer is closed, and meansoperated by the opening of the drawer to release the latch for relievingpressure of the follower on the drawer contents. i

l1. The combination of a file case, a drawer movable in and out in thecase, a follower-sup-V porting carriage having limited longitudinalmovement on the drawer, a follower carried by and partaking in thelongitudinal movement of the carriage and adjustable longitudinally todifferent positions relative to thecarriage, means for shifting thefollower to hold the drawer contents under pressure when the drawer isclosed and for relieving the pressure on the contents when the drawer isopen, latch means which normally holds the follower from shifting, andmeans which actuates said latch means upon the opening or closing of thedrawer to allow the shifting of the fouower.

12. The combination of a. le case, a drawer movable in and out in thecase, a follower-supporting carriage having limited longitudinalmovement on the drawer, a follower carried by and partaking in thelongitudinal movement of the carriage and adjustable longitudinally todifferent positions relative to the carriage, follower actuating meanswhich shifts the follower carriage and follower for compressing thedrawer contents when closing the drawer, a latch on said carriagearranged to engage the drawer for securing the follower to hold thedrawer contents under pressure when the drawer is closed and to preventpressure of the follower on the drawer contents when the drawer is open,and means which actuates the latch upon the closing and opening of thedrawer to allow the shifting of the follower to apply pressure to andrelieve the pressure on the drawer contents.

JAMES R. JONES. VICTOR A. GRONBERG.

